V-/
YOUR BEST
ADVERTISING MEDIA
IN THE LUCRATIVE
BLACK MARKET
CALL 376-0496
, ^ '· * Jr OJj ψ
•-h—rlotty, ii,C. 2Ô2CÎ
CHARLOTTE and MECKLENBURG COUNTY
CiJiR.OlU, N. L 28202
THE CHARLOTTE POST
BLACK NEWSPAPERS ·
EFFECTIVELY REACH
BY FAR, MORE
BLACK CONSUMERS
Vol. 6, No. 8
m With Satan Ellsworth .
THE VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY
THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, October 2, 1980
Price 30 Cents
have endorsed the National
Unity Campaign ticket of
John Anderson and Patrick
Lucey.
Williams called Ander
son "the only one of the
three leading presidential
candidates who directly ad
dresses issues important to
the black community."
W infield praised Ander
son's program for ending
high unemployment among
black youths.
+ + + +
Randall Kincaid, the
ninth district Democratic
candidate for congress has
a full schedule of cam
paigning this week.
His activities include
speaking to the Charlotte
Kiwania Club on Thursday,
October 2. He also may
attend a party at the Ex
celsior Club Thursday af
teilbon for area teachers
ana meet with the Char
lotte center city neighbor
hood leaders that evening.
Kincaid will talk with
members of the American
Association of Retired Per
sons Friday morning in
Statesville.
He later will speak with
senior citizens at the Grier
Heights Presbyterian
Church Hot Lunch Pro
gram.
Completing Friday's ac
tivities, Kincaid will tour
the Lincoln shopping cen
ters with Mayor W. M.
Lents.
A berbeque in Mint Hill
Saturday will close Kin
caid's campaigning for this
week.
Raleigh Bynum, Demo
cratic candidate for county
commission launched a full
week of campaigning Fri
day, September 28.
He met voters during
lunch at 12:30 p.m. in the
SAW Cafeteria on Friday.
Later that evening he was
among the Democratic
candidates at the Matthews
precinct in United Caro
lina Bank.
Bynum's Wednesday ac
tivities Include canvassing
at Davidson College, and
appearing at Charlotte
Motor Speedway at S p.m.
for a contest, and a 7:30
p.n^f meeting of the
Women's Political Caucus
at the Red Cross Center
Rounding out that week's
activities, Bynum will be
campaigning at CPCC
from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on
Thursday, October 2, and
from 1:10 p.m.-7:30 p.m. .
A disco will be held for
Bynum on Saturday, Octo
ber 4 at The Beacon Club.
«2^
·:·■·■ wrm""'
*. j -
ATTRACTIVE SANDRA BECKHAM
...To enter entertainment
Sandra Beckham
Is Beauty Of Week
»y leresa ourns
Post Staff Writer
There is an old saying
that for others to love you
you must first love your
self. In the case of our
beauty, Sandra Beckham,
she has proven this to be
true.
"I admire myself for all
that I've accomplished - I
have to think that way,"
she remarked.
The profession Ms. Beck
ham has decided to embark
upon is a demanding one -
the entertainment field.
She would one day like to
become a well-known.
actress. With the tough
competition one must face,
self-confidence, and even a
bit of conceit are necessary
traits.
Her list of acting credits
are already rather im
pressive. "David and
Lisa," "South Pacific" and
"Oklahoma," (which
brought in more money
than any other play at East
Mecklenburg) are just a
few. She has also co
authored numerous plays
at her church and worked
behind the scenes as well
as playing parts in other
local productions. Com
mercials and a WTVI spe
cial are also listed as
accomplishments.
Presently, Ms. Beckham
is enrolled at the School of
Arts in Winston-Salem as a
freshman. She seems to
possess that extra charis
ma needed for the birth of a
star. But she also has some
back-up plans, just in case
her yearning fissles before
she is discovered.
"If I can't become suc
cessful I want to teach it,"
Ms. Beckham admitted. "I
intend to receive my
master's in Theatre Arts
from New York Univers
ity."
But Ms. Beckham's
dream of becoming a star
manifested when she was
only a 3rd grader. Such a
dream is not easily di
minished. Perhaps her
abilities will outshine, those
competitors - for her ta
lents are certainly a pres
cious gift.
She has already proven
her capacity for a variety
of activities. She is an '80
graduate of East Mecklen
burg Senior High where she
sang in the choir, was a
member of the cheerlead
ing squad and the Inter
national Thespian Society
(Actors Guild). At Antioch
Baptist Church she was
president of the Youth
Missionary and co-chair
man of the Youth Day
Program.
Our Pisces beauty comes
from a family of nine child
ren. She has five brothers
and three sisters. Her pa
rents are Mr. and Mrs.
John Beckham.
A few of her hobbies
include collecting records,
both classical and jazz, and
playing tennis.
Ms. Beckham feels that
people should stay active.
"I think that everyone
should get as much out of
life as they possibly can. It
just doesn't make sense
laying back not doing any
thing," she insisted.
It's about time people
vanished labels also, ac
cording to our beauty. "I
would change the labels
that people stick on things.
If there is a Black Actors
Guild why can't it just be
one · An Actors Guild - I
want to be known as an
actress, not a Black
actress."
Black Firm To Build
New Homes In Biddleville
Mayor Knox
Endorses
New Policy
In a recently signed con
tract the Mayor has en
dorsed a new policy where
by the Plaza-Midwood
Neighborhood Association
will take over litter control
in Midwood Park, as well
as daily locking and un
locking of the newly con
structed restroom areas,
and will add to the City's
routine restroom mainten
ance by cleaning up during
and immediately following
events on park property
which are sponsored by the
neighborhood association.
The Parks and Recreation
Department will continue
its regular grass cutting, as
well as normal restroom
and playground mainten
ance, and its Park Ranger
Security force.
In a cooperative effort
between leaders of the
Plaza-Midwood Neighbor
hood Association and Lee
Silver, Assistant Director
of the Parks and Recrea
tion Department, this con
cept was presented to the
Plaza-Midwood Neighbor
hood Association Board
and was enthusiastically
endorsed by that group.
Mr. Silver comments
that in other areas of the
country such innovative
programs have strengthen
ed the link between city
government and citizen
groups by increasing
neighborhood involvement
and interest in parks.
\
Vote Task Force members make final
plans to register black voters before
the October 6 deadline. Walter Dillard,
mWMTL* _
Doris McLaughlin, Spencer Thompson,
Ella Tally and Sam Reid. (Photo by
Eileen Hanson)
Vote lask Force Has Added
1,116 Black Voters To Rolls
By Eileen Hanson
Special To The Post
The number of black
voters in Charlotte-Meck
lenburg jumped by 1,348 in
the last month, according
to the Board of Elections,
bringing voting power
to 31,548. Registration for
the November 4 general
elections closes Monday,
October 6.
Most of the increase is
the result of long hours
spent by the Vote Task
Force, a small but commit
ted group of 15 people that
meets every Tuesday even
ing at St. Paul's Baptist
Church to plan ways to in
crease black participation
in electoral politics.
"The Task Force has
added 1,116 black voters to
the rolls since February,
far exceeding our goal of
1,000 before November,"
said Vote Task Force vice
chairman Lonnie Graves.
In a final push before
Monday's deadline, the
VTF will hold 5 registra
tion drives this weekend:
Saturday, October 4: Dal
ton Village Community
Center (10 a.m.-2 p.m.);
Boulevard Homes (2:30-4
p.m.); Johnson C. Smith
University football games
(7 p.m.). Sunday, October
5: Five Points (9 a.m.
Noon); Freedom Park (4-7
p.m. ). Members of the Cen
tral Labor Council will as
sist with door-to-door can
vassing in Dalton Village
and Boulevard Homes.
(Registration is also
available at the Board of,
Elections, 710 E. 4th St., 10
am -4 η m SohirHou *7. on
a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday;
and all branches of the
Public Library, Mechanics
and Farmers Bank and
First Union Bank).
After two years of hard
work, the VTF is beginning
to see results.
"We see more blacks at
the polls, more interest in
politics and more impact of
the black vote on who gets
elected," said Task Force
Chairman Sam Reid, who
predicts a record 18-20,000
Charlotte blacks will vote
on November 4.
Three black candidates
are running - Dr. Bertha
Maxwell for State Repre
senative; Dr. Raleigh By
num and Rev. Bob Walton
/for County Commission.
The history of the Vote
Task Force goes back two
years, when City Council
Low Income
Families
Can Qualify
By Teresa Burns
Post Staff Writer
A new home-for some it
is only a dream. But Sam
Young Jr., president and
owner of First Southern
Properties Real Estate
firm, has executed à plan
that will change the lives of
10 families.
"We hope to start build
ing 10 new homes within
the next 60-70 davs." Youne
announced This is the op
portunity many low to mo
derate income families
have been seeking.
The family must consist
of two or more persons
related by blood, marriage,
or operation of law. Houses
will range from $38,000 to
$40,000 for three bedrooms
to $43,000 to $45,000 for four
bedroom homes.
According to Young, "If
a family of four would like
to purchase a home from
First Southern Properties
- first of all they would
probably consider the pay
ments. Can they afford a
new home? If their total
income is $18,000 per year,
the house payment would
come to $275 per month.
This amounts to a monthly
payment equivalent to a 4
to 5 percent mortgage rate
instead of the usual 13*a
percent charged by most
banks.
The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban De
velopment (HUD) (Section
235 revised) Homeowner
ship Subsidy Program
states this $275. would in
clude taxes, insurance,
actually everything. In ef
fect the government would
subside at least $208 of the
monthly cost."
Financing would be
through NCNB. If the per
son has good credit his next
step is to check the quality
guarantee of the new home.
"First of all we went out
and asked people what they
would like in their homes,"
Young explained. He found
that most liked gas heat
Along The
Campaign
Trail
President Carter wel
comed the support of PUSH
president Rev. Jesse Jack
son, who recently endorsed
the Carter-Mondale ticket.
Jackson said he supports
Carter because of his stand
on human rights, the cre
ation of eight million jobs
during the Carter Adminis
tration and increased fund
ing for Job training for the
disadvantaged.
"Resident Carter has
appi*)ted blacks through
out the government," Jack
soh began, "not just in
special ethnic slots, but to
positions of power and de
cision making."
+ + ^· +
Black civil rights activist
Rev. Cecil Williams and
«4.. **—1 « J
·«» «
Most healthy people are
comfortable la a houee
when the temperature is 71
lo77 degree·.
By Eileen Hanson
Spécial To The Poet
Supporters of John E,
McCombe Jr. will charter a
bus to Durham on Satur
day, October 11, to launch a
statewide effort to free the
24-year-old Charlottean
now in Central Prison.
A Rally for Justice will
be held at Russell Memo
rial CME Church, 70(3 Aus
tin St. in Durham at 9 p.m.,
sponsored by the John E.
McCombe' Legal Defense
Committee The Charlotte
Equal Rights Council and
People United for Justice
will co-sponsor the event.
The bus will leave Char
lotte at 1 p.m. from Me
morial United Presbyte
rian Church, MOO Beattles
ford Road, returning
around 9 p.m.
McCombe was a student
at N. C. Central in Durham
when an unidentified man
broke into his college 4
apartment in April, 1976
waving a gun at McCombe.
The student picked up his
own gun and fired once at
the advancing intruder. Se
conds later McCombs
learned that it was a plains
clothe* policemen that he
had killed
The case stirred too
much controversy in Dur
ham at the time that the
courts moved the trial to
Roxboro, which was near
the officer'· hometown.
"The media tried to
frame John. That's what
they do to our black child
ren." said his mother J<
McComu», «leaking to the
N.C. Black Political Forum
September 30. "My son is
no murderer. It could have
happened to anyone. We
have to stand up for
Justice''
McCombe was convicted
of second degree murder in
July, 1979, and was given a
«5 year sentence. He is now
U.S. Secretary of Hous
ing and Urban Develop
ment Moon Landrieu today
announced the selection of
six states and 30 small
communities to participate
in a demonstration effort to
revitalize downtown areas.
The demonstration is an
initiative under President
Carter's Small Community
and Rural Development
Policy.
Colorado, Georgia,
Massachusetts, North
Carolina, Pennsylvania,
and Texas were chosen
from a competition involv
ing 33 states to join in this
pioneering public-private
sector effort to strengthen
the downtown areas of
State-Wide Effort Launched
To Free John E. McCombs
in maximum security at
Central Prison, where he
works as an operating tech
nician in the prison hos
pital.
Several facts in the case
have aroused the attention
of social justice organiza
tions In the state. No search
warrant was ever served.
McComba was not told of
his legal rights. None of the
seven officers involved in
the raid identified them
selves as police. Several
officers testified under
oath that they beat Mc
Comb· after his arrest
Lawyers found Mi errors
in the case and appealed
for a new trial. The N. C.
Court of Appeals granted
the request, but before a
new trial could be held, the
State Supreme Court over
turned the ruling.
Meanwhile several of
ficers that supposedly
found drugs in McCombs'
apartment after the incAf
dent were themselves
charged with selling and
planting drugs on suspects.
Two served drug-related
prison sentences.
Speaking to the Charlotte
Equal Rights Council last
month, Rev. Leon White of
the United Church of Christ
Commission on Racial Jus
tice said, "The Durham
vice squad has been ex
posed as corrupt. Now is a'
good time to return the
case to Durham, where it
happened and build sup
port for John's cause."
White urged supporters
to launch a statewide ef
fort to request a pardon
from Gov. Jim Hunt on the
basis of self-defense and
the many errors surround
ing the case.
For reservations on the
bus to Durham October 11,
call 377-31 S3 or 392-1401 by
Tuesday, October 7. A 17
donation for the bus is
- requested.
North Carolina Included
hi Revitalize Downtown Han
man Ron Leeper invited a
group of concerned blacks
to a meeting at Mt. Carmel
Baptist Church. The pro
blem was posed: How
could blacks have more
impact on the political pro
cess?
At that time less than
half of Charlotte's eligible
blacks were registered to
vote, and only a third of
those showed up on election
day. "Something had to be
done," said Graves
The group decided to
form a non-partisan Vote
Task Force with three
goals: increase black voter
registration, educate
blacks about the impor
tance of voting, and gel
more people out to the
polls.
Rev. Howard Campbell
served as the first chair
man. In February, 1979
Reid took over as chair and
communities under 50,000
population. The National
Main Street Center, a pro
gram of the National Trust
for Historic Preservation,
will provide technical as
sistance and training to a
five-city networn in each
state during the first year.
The National Main Street
Center is funded by seven
federal agencies including
the Department of Housing
and Urban Development,
the National Endowment
for the Arts, and the Small
Business Administration.
In addition to contributing
funds, federal agencies will
work to institute policy
changes to help govern
ment respond better to the
main strM>t ruwrie nf «mall
instead of the electric base
board. Air conditioning will
be optional There will be
two whole bathrooms,
three or four bedrooms,
crawl space under the
house, dish washers and
garbage disposals.
All buyers will choose the
color of the wall-to-wall
carpet to be placed in their
homes also. "The mate
rials are of the highest
quality," Young states,
"This is our first building
situation and it has to be
the best."
- Numerous trees will be
left on the 60x140 lots,
located on Taylor Ave.
"ΤΙιίβ 1
At that time there were
28,000 blacks registered
but each year some 2,00(
voters were purged from
the list because they hadn'l
voted in- the last 4 years.
"We weren't even tread
ing water, we were going
backwards," said Graves.
The Vote Task Forcc
started registration drives,
but the frequefit demands
were too costly for th«
Board of Elections which
has to pay the registrars.
The VTF proposed thai
some of its members could
be trained as "special
registrars," serving as vo
lunteers. Last January the
Board of Elections agreed
to appoint β special re
gistrars, including foui
VTF members, for a year'i
trial period.
As soon as the books
close on registration Octo
ber β, the VTF will s tari
working on Voter Educa
tion Workshops
communities. The support
of the participating federal
agencies and the White
House was generated by
growing concern about the
decline of many central
business districts in both
small and large communi
ties and the negative im
pacts on agricultural land,
energy and small business
that too often accompany
tprawl development.
The National Main Street
Center will open its doors
on October 1,1900, to begin
assisting the demonstra
tion communities and
states. President Carter's
Chief οi Staff, Jack Wat
son, stated that the Main
Street Project brings all
levels of government and
the private sector a step
closer in adopting a con
servative ethic In revital
izing America's commun
Û 4
block from the bus line, in
walking distance of Uni
versity Part Elementary,
Northwest Junior High and
West Charlotte Senior High
schools, and many
churches," Young ex
plained. Taylor Ave. is lo
cated one black from La
Salle St. and Besttiea Ford
Rd
"This city la in desperate
need of quality homes for
low to moderate Income
families," Young finalised.
First Southern Proper- ·
ties, started in January,
1979 by Young is a busi
ness determined to meet
the needs of Charlotte
citizens. *